Adhesive bandage



Aug. 4, 1959 F. J. BUSH 2,897,961

ADHESIVE BANDAGE:

Filed May 2, 195e /2 El E' 4 (38/26/55 f2N M) 2) 25 INVENTOR: i' FG'sosR/cr J as.

p, 2,897,961' Patented Aug. 4, 1959 ADHESIVE BANDAGE Frederick J. Bush, Railway, NJ., assigner to Johnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 2, v1956, Serial No. 582,172

11 Claims. (Cl. 20G-63.2)

The present invention relates to individual adhesive bandages of the type having a flexible backing coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition. Such adhesive bandages may consist of a simple strip of adhesive tape or may be of the dressing type, in which an absorbent compress or pad is affixed to the flexible adhesively coated backing to expose the adhesive on the parts of the backing beyond the pad. An adhesive bandage of this dressing type may take the form of a strip, patch, spot orso-called middle wound bandage.

The usual adhesive bandage of the general type described has its exposed adhesive surface and its pad or compress, if such pad is provided, protected by a facing sheet or sheets, and such bandages are sterile and are packaged individually in such a manner that sterility is maintained until the individual package is opened.V For that purpose, the bandage, protectively faced as described, is enclosed in an envelope or wrapper. Before such a bandage can be applied to an injured part of the skin, it is necessary to remove the Wrapper and then the facing sheet or sheets therefrom, in case such facing sheets are separate from the wrapper.

The present invention relates specifically to individually packaged adhesive bandages of the type in which the facing sheet serves not only the function of directly protecting the exposed parts of the adhesive vsurface but also as part of the individual wrapper for the bandage and has among its objects to provide a new and improved adhesive bandage package unit of this type, which is designed to ensure economy of material and manufacture, which is constructed to permit removal of the combined wrapper and adhesive protection or facing sheet and simultaneous withdrawal of the adhesive bandage by a simple balanced peeling operation without distorting the bandage or curl.

ing it out of shape, which is designed to permit removal of the adhesive facing sheet and the simultaneous withdrawal of the adhesive bandage without the ngers coming into contact with the pad or compress or with the adhesive, which can be conveniently handled for application to the injured skin after removal of the facing sheet without the lingers coming into contact with the pad or compress or with the adhesive surface, which is designed to make it self-evident how the package can be manip* ulated for its unsealing and removal of the adhesive bandage, and which is designed to lie flat with a minimum of bulge, so that it can be compactly stored in packs in cartons or containers.

In accordance with certain features of the invention, the adhesive bandage package unit comprises an adhesive bandage which includes an adhesive tape in strip, patch, spot or other suitable form and the wrapper for said adhesive tape includes a sheet of flexible material adhesively attached to the adhesive side of the adhesive tape to serve not only as a wrapper sheet but also as a protective facing therefor. At one end, the Wrapper sheet is free or can be easily freed from attachment either to the adhesive tape or to any other part of the wrapper, in case any such other wrapper part is provided, to form a finger tab by which the wrapper sheet may be conven`- iently grasped and easily stripped away from the adhesive tape to effect withdrawal of the adhesive bandage. V

As another feature of the invention, there is interposed between one end of the adhesive tape and the wrapper sheet an insert in the form of a sheet attached to said adhesive tape and separable from said wrapper sheet to serve as a finger tab by which the final withdrawal of the bandage from the wrapper and the manipulation of the bandage for application to the injured skin can be effected without contact of the lingers with the adhesive.

As a further feature, the insert is a sheet doubly folded to define two contiguous panels separated by a fold line, one of said panels being attached to the adhesive side of the adhesive tape, the other panel being adapted to be freed in the form of a flap to permit the insert to be easily rgrasped by the fingers and peeled off said adhesive sheet after the adhesive bandage has been completely withdrawn from its wrapper and just before application of the bandage to the injured surface is completed.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of adhesive bandage package unit embodying the present invention, part of the wrapper being shown broken away to expose the interior of the package unit;

Fig. 2 is the bottom plan view of the adhesive bandage package unit shown in Fig. l, part of the wrapper being shown broken away to expose part of the interior of the package unit;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the adhesive bandage package unit of Figs. l and 2 taken on lines 33 of Fig. 1, but shown on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the adhesive bandage package of Figs. l and 2 taken on lines 4 4 of Fig. 1, but shown on a larger scale;

Fig. 5 is a perspective showing the initial stages of4 peeling off the wrapper from the adhesive bandage of Figs. 1 to 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective showing the later'stages of peeling olf the wrapper from the adhesive bandage of Figs. 1 to 4; f

Fig. 7 is a top plan View of another form of adhesive bandage package unit embodying the present invention,- part of the wrapper being shown broken away to expose the interior of the package unit;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the adhesive bandage package unit of Fig. 7 taken on lines 8 8 of Fig. 7, but shown on a larger scale; 'and Fig. 9 is a transverse section of the adhesive bandage package unit of Fig. 7 taken on lines 9 9 of Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. l to 6 of the drawings, the inven, tion is shown therein applied to an adhesive bandage:

package unit of the elongated strip type having an absorbent compress or pad and exposed adhesive surfaces,

although as far as certain aspects of the invention arey concerned, it may be applied to other types of adhesive bandages, as will be described hereinafter more'rfully.`

The package unit illustrated consists essentially of an adhesive bandage 10 and an expendable wrapper 11 therefor. The adhesive bandage 10 comprises an adhesive tape including a strip 12 of adhesive tape backing material, which may be either woven or non-woven fibrous material or which may be non-fibrous material,

such as extensible polyvinyl chloride film. Deposited on the backing strip 12 is a ylayer 13 of pressure-sensitive 3 13. This dressing pad 14, which is slightly narrower than the backing strip 12 and which is much shorter, is centered on the strip to leave thereon exposed side margins 15 of adhesive along the sides of the pad and exposed end portions 16 beyond the ends of the pad.

To package individually the adhesive bandage 10 so that after sterilization, said bandage will remain sterile, there is provided the wrapper 11 in the form of an envelope comprising two flexible sheets 17 and 18, which may constitute two separate sheets as shown, or which may consist of a single sheet doubly folded. These wrapper sheets 17 and 18, which are of substantially equal size and shape and which are longer and wider than the adhesive bandage 10, are placed in registry on opposite sides of and face to face with said bandage and are transversely centered with respect to said bandage to define on said sheets projecting longitudinal margins 20 along the sides of the pad 14. The wrapper sheets 17 and 18 are displaced lengthwise of the adhesive bandage 10 to define on said sheets projecting margins 21 at one end and longer projecting margins 22 at the opposite end beyond the pad 14.

The specific materials from which the different components of the adhesive bandage package unit are made are preferably those described in the U.S. Patent No. 2,703,083. That patent discloses a facing member which serves as protection for the adhesive surface of the bandage and which consists essentially of film presenting a smooth and continuous surface and constituted of organic material substantially inert with respect to the adhesive. This film may be utilized as a laminate, as a free unsupported film or as a coating and serves to develop substantially the fuil sticking powers of the adhesive to which it is protectively applied. Materials proposed for that purpose in the aforesaid patent are vinyl chloride resins and copolymers thereof with vinyl acetate and vinylidene chloride, cellulose acetate, cellophane, epoxy resins, etc. and also resins which may he employed as paper coatings. These materials are also suitable to form, for the purpose of the present invention, the Wrapper sheet 17 juxtaposed to the adhesive side of the adhesive bandage 10 to serve also as a protective facing member therefor and are also suitable to form the other wrapper sheet 18. The wrapper sheet 17 is Ydesirably made entirely of inert organic material described, but as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, may consist of a sheet having an inner coating or lamina of this facing material applied thereto to form a sheet unit therewith.

The two wrapper sheets 17 and 18 come together in face to face contact along the projecting side margins 20 and across the projecting end margins 21 and are hermetically secured together along and across these margins by heat sealing, in case the material of these Wrapper sheets is thermoplastic, or otherwise by adhesive to form side seals 24 and end seal 25. In the case the wrapper sheets 17 and 18 consist of a single sheet doubly folded, the end seal 2S may be dispensed with, since the integral interconnection between the sheets along the fold line takes the place of this seal. l

The other end margins 22 of the wrapper sheets 17 and 18 are secured together along a strip area by heat sealing or by adhesive to form an end seal 26. The seals 24, 25 and 26, in rectangular relationship, are continuous around the adhesive bandage 10 and serve to enclose hermetically the bandage in the wrapper 11.

Whether heat-sealing or adhesive is employed to form the seals 24, 25 and 26, these are strong enough to protect the adhesive bandage 10 against contamination during storage but are preferably weak enough to permit these seals to break open by a neat peeling operation without tearing, when the wrapper sheets 17 and 18 are pulled apart in the process of withdrawing the adhesive bandage from the wrapper 11.

The end seal 26 between the wrapper sheets 17 and 18 is sufiiciently narrow and is set inwardly from the outer ends of said sheets sufficiently to define two separate finger pull tabs 27 and 28 on the Wrapper sheets 17 and 18, respectively.

To lallow for the handling of the adhesive bandage 10 after being almost withdrawn from the wrapper 11, without the fingers coming in contact with the adhesive side of the bandage, there is provided an insert 30 between the end of the adhesive bandage 10, near the finger tabs 27 and 28, and the wrapper sheet 17. This insert is in the form of a flexible sheet and may be of paper or fabric, although it is preferably made of the same material as the wrapper sheet 17 so that it does not adversely affect the sticking power of the adhesive to which it is attached when removed for application of the bandage 10 to the injured skin. The insert 30 is doubly folded about a line 31 to form two contiguous panels 32 and 33, one panel 32 being adhesively attached to the adhesive face of the bandage 10 at one end by the adhesive layer 13, and the other panel 33 being free from face attachment and forming a flap hinged about the fold line 31. The insert 30 serves not only as a finger tab but also as a separating member to prevent the'section 34 of the wrapper sheet 17, beyond one end of the dressing pad 14 nearest the end finger tabs 27 and 28, from becoming too firmly attached to the adhesive on the end portion 16 of the bandage 10 opposite said section. The adhesive bandage package unit, formed as described, is sterilized either by chemical sterilization or by steam sterilization, in a manner well-known in the adhesive bandage art. The materials employed in forming this package unit will effectively withstand the thermal conditions of both types of sterilization and said unit maintain its sterility until opened.

The adhesive bandage package unit, formed as described, is fiat and compact and free from bulges and will pack easily into a carton or container.V

In the operation of opening the adhesive bandage package unit, the two tabs 27 and 28 at the ends of the wrapper sheets 17 and 18 are grasped in the fingers and pulled apart to break the end seal 26, and the tabs are continued to be pulled to break the side seals 24 progressively and to peel the two wrapper sheets apart and away from the adhesive bandage 10, as shown in Fig. 5. Since the section 34 of the wrapper sheet 17 nearest the tab 27 is not adhesively attached to or at least is not too firmly attached to the adhesive side of the bandage 10, and since the other wrapper sheet 18 has no adhesive attachment to the bandage 10, this preliminary stripping action is not complicated by such attachments and is carried out smoothly without distorting or curling the adhesive bandage. The wrapper sheets 17 and 18, although flexible, have sufficient rigidity to assist in preventing curlback of the adhesive bandage during this operation.

After the stripping action has continued beyond the pad 14, as shown in Fig. 5, then further pulling of the tabs 27 and 28 will continue to break the side seals 24, but since the section 35 of the wrapper sheet 17 is adhesively secured to the face of the adhesive bandage, the bandage will remain attached to the wrapper sheet 17, while the wrapper sheet 18 is being stripped off, until the wrapper is completely removed or almost completely removed. At that stage, while the fingers of one hand continue to grasp the finger tab 27, the fingers of the other hand grasp the insert 3f) and the two hands move apart to peel the wrapper sheet 17 off the remainder of the adhesive bandage 10, as shown in Fig. 6. The flap 33 of the insert 30 may be grasped for this final operation of peeling the adhesive bandage 10 from the wrapper sheet 17, as shown in Fig. 6, in which case, the insert 30 may be peeled off the adhesive bandage at the same time, or if desired, the insert 30 may be retained on the adhesive bandage until the bandage is completely separated from the wrapper sheet and the bandage is applied to the injured skin. If it is desired to so retain the insert 30, instead of grasping the flap 33 alone of the insert 30, as shown in Fig. 6, the whole insert and the end of the adhesive bandage is grasped for this final peeling operation. After the bandage has been separated from the wrapper as described, the bandage may be applied to the skin by holding the end of the bandage carrying the insert 30, so that the fingers do not come into contact with the adhesive side of the bandage. After the bandage has been applied to the skin, the insert 30 may be peeled on just before the bandage has been fully applied to the skin.

If during the preliminary stage of removing the wrapper sheets 17 and 18, it is found that the adhesive bandage adheres to the section 34 of the wrapper sheet 17, then the wrapper sheet 18 is almost completely stripped off the Wrapper sheet 17 before the bandage is peeled oif the wrapper sheet 17, by pulling on the insert end of the bandage and on the corresponding end of the wrapper sheet 17.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show a modication of the invention comprising an adhesive bandage 10a, which is similar to the adhesive bandage 10 in the construction of Figs. l to 6 and which, for that reason, includes the strip 12a of adhesive tape backing material having a layer 13a of pressure-sensitive adhesive to which is secured the dressing pad 14a. The backing strip 12a may, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, be either a woven or non-woven ribrous material, as in the construction of Figs. l to 6, but for the reason to be made apparent, it is preferred to have this strip made of an impervious material such as a plastic. A suitable plastic for the purpose is polyvinyl chloride.

Attached to the adhesive side of the bandage 10a by the adhesive layer 13a is a wrapper sheet 17a having substantially the same size and shape as the backing strip 12a of the bandage except that the wrapper' sheet is slightly longer. This wrapper sheet 17a is made of the same material as the wrapper sheet 17 in the construction of Figs. l to 6, and similarly serves not only as a wrapper for the adhesive bandage 10a but also as a facing sheet for the exposed adhesive surfaces of said bandage. The side sections 36 of the wrapper sheet 17a beyond the sides of the pad 14a and the end sections 37 and 38 beyond the ends of the pad are attached to the strip 12a by the exposed parts of the adhesive layers 13a thereon, The adhesively secured wrapper sections 36, 37 and 38, arranged in rectangular continuous form around the pad 14a, seal said pad against contamination.

At one end of the package unit between the adhesive side of the backing strip 12a of the bandage 10a and the wrapper sheet 17a is an insert 30a made of flexible sheet material and doubly folded about a lfold line 31a to define contiguous panels 32a and 33a. The panel 32a is secured to the end of the backing strip 12a of the bandage 10a by the adhesive layer 13a, while the panel 33a although in face contact with the end of the wrapper sheet 17a is not attached thereto. The insert panels 32a and 33a are rectangular and have a width coextensive with the width of the backing strip 12a of the bandage 10a and the outer edge of the panel 32a is ush with the outer end of the backing strip 12a of the bandage.

At the end of the package unit furthest from the insert 30a, the ends of the backing strip 12a and of the wrapper sheet 17a are flush. At the opposite end, the wrapper sheet 17a, being longer than the backing strip 12a of the bandage 10a, has an end part 40 projecting beyond the insert panel 33a, to permit the end section of the wrapper sheet to be easily bent away from the insert 30a and pulled in one direction by the iingers of one hand, while the fingers of the other hand grasp the insert panel 32a or the insert panel 33a and the end of the backing strip 12a attached .to the latter panel and pull in an opposite direction, in the process of releasing the bandage from the wrapper. This pulling operation strips the wrapper sheet 17%/ from the adhesive bandage 10a until the wrapper sheet has been completely removed. The bandage 10a can then be applied to the skin, while the lingers hold the insert 30a, and in the iinal stages of this application, the insert can be peeled oif the bandage. The operation from the withdrawal of the adhesive bandage 10a from the wrapper sheet 17a to the nal application of the bandage to the skin may thereby be accomplished without the fingers coming into contact with the bandage.

The invention has been shown applied to a form of adhesive bandage containing yan elongated rectangular strip of adhesive to which is aflixed an absorbent rectangular pad or compress. However, as far as certain aspects of `the invention are concerned, the invention may be applied to adhesive bandages of other shapes. For example, it can be applied to a `so-called patch type of 4adhesive bandage, *in ywhich a square piece of backing material coated with ladhesive has a square absorbent pad in the center or to a 4so-ealled spot type of adhesive bandage in which a round piece of backing material coated with adhesive has a round absorbent pad in the center, `or to .a so-called middle wound type of bandage in which a comparatively large piece of gauze in `the form `of Aa pad has connected thereacross one or more strips of adhesive tape projecting beyond the gauze.

Also, as far yascertain aspects of the invention are concerned, the ladhesive bandage protected and wrapped in raccord-ance with the present invention may consist simply of a piece of adhesive tape.

While the invention has been described with particular reference kto specific embodiments, it is to be understood that it is not -to he limited thereto, but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhe-sive bandage including an adhesive tape presenting an adhesive surface, a pair of wrapper sheets-0f flexible material disposed in substantial registry on opposite sides of the adhesive tape face -to face therewith, said sheets projecting on the sides and the ends beyond the sides and ends respectively of the adhesive tape and being secured together at -said projecting sides and ends to form an envelope for said adhesive bandage, the wrapper sheet on the adhesive side of the bandage serving also `as a facing sheet for said adhesive side, the projecting ends of lthe wrapper sheets at one end being secured together by attachment breakable t-o permit the separation of said projecting ends, `and said projecting ends serving as finger tabs by which said wrapper sheets may be stripped apart to expose the adhesive tape therebetween, and an insert of flexible sheet material between the wrapper sheet on the adhesive side of the adhesive ta ,e and `said adhesive surface separate from said wrapper lsheets and attached to said tape by said ad hesive surface near the projecting ends of said wrapper sheets, said insert having a free end section forming a third nger tab concealed within said envelope and exposed after the wrapper sheet on the adhesive side of the adhesive tape has been partially removed from the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape.

2. An #adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim l, wherein said wrapper sheets are made of plastic thermoplastic material and are heat-sealed together along their projecting sides and at least at one end to form an envelope for said adhesive bandage.

3. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an `adhesive bandage including an `adhesive tape, and a pad of yabsorbent material shorter than the tape and attached to the adhesive side'tof the tape intermediate the ends of the tape, whereby the end portions of the tape project beyond the ends of the pad, a pair of Wrapper sheets of flexible material disposed in substantial registry on opposite sides of the adhesive tape face to face therewith, said wrapper sheets projecting on the sides and ends beyond the sides and ends respectively of the adhesive tape and being secured ltogether at sarid projecting sides and ends to form an envelope for said adhesive bandage, the wrapper sheet on the adhesive side of the bandage serving also as a facing sheet for said adhesive side, the projecting ends of the wrapper sheets at one end being secured together by attachment breakable to permit the separation of said projecting ends, and said projecting ends serving as finger tabs by which said wrapper sheets may be stripped apart to expose the adhesive tape therebetween, and an insert of sheet material between the end of the adhesive tape adjacent to the finger tabs and the adjacent end of the combined wrapper and facing sheet, said insert constituting -a sheet of flexible material doubly folded Ito form two contiguous panels, said insert being located with its fold line extending transverse of 'the tape and with the inside of the fold facing towards said end of the tape, one of the panels being attached -to the `adhesive side of the adhesive tape at one end, the other panel serving -as a flap and being separable from the wrapper sheet to permit said flap to be pulled and the insert thereby peeled off the adhesive tape before complete application of the adhesive bandage to the skin is attained.

4. An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim 3, wherein the wrapper sheet adjacent to the adhesive `surface of the tape comprises adjacent to the adhesive surface of the tape a film of organic material which is inert with respect to the adhesive on the adhesive tape and which presents to said adhesive surface a smooth, continuous, imperforate surface.

5. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape, and a pad of absorbent material shorter than the tape and attached to the adhesive `side of the tape intermediate the ends of the tape, whereby the end portions of the tape project beyond the ends of the pad, a pair of wrapper sheets of flexible material disposed in substantial registry on opposite sides of the adhesive tape face to face therewith, said wrapper sheets projecting on the sides and ends beyond the sides and ends respectively of the adhesive tape, and being secured together at said projecting sides and ends to form an envelope for said adhesive bandage, the wrapper sheet on the adhesive side of the bandage serving also as a facing sheet for said adhesive side, the projecting ends of the wrapper sheets at one end being secured togcther by attachment breakable to permit the separation of said projecting ends, and said projecting ends serving as finger tabs by which said wrapper sheets may be stripped apart and away from said adhesive tape to expose the adhesive tape therebetween, and an insert of sheet material between the end of the adhesive tape adjacent to the linger tabs and the adjacent end of the combined wrapper and facing sheet separate from said wrapper sheets, said insert being adhesively attached to the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape and serving as a linger tab land also as a means for separating the section of the wrapper sheet opposite the end portion of the adhesive tape nearest to said finger tabs from the latter end portion, whereby said section does not adhere too strongly to the latter end portion.

6. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape presenting `an adhesive surface, an imperforatewrapper sheet of flexible material facing, the adhesive side of the tape and serving as the sole enwrapment on the adhesive side of the tape except for a section of said tape at one end, said wrapper sheet also serving as a facing member for ysaid adhesive surface and extending along substantially the full length of said tape, said wrapper sheet having an end portion near said end of the adhesive tape extending in freeable position to serve as a first finger tab by which said wrapper sheet may be peeled off said surface in the process of withdrawing the adhesive bandage from its enwrapment, and an insert of flexible sheet material located between the wrapper sheet and the tape near said cnd of the tape so as to be substantially covered by :said wrapper sheet and having a section attached to the adhesive surface of the tape near said end, said insert termin-ating at its ends near said end :of the tape and having an outer fold between said insert section and said wrapper sheet hinged about a fold line for opening action towards the other end of said tape, Ksaid outer fold being free from attachment to said end portion of the wrapper sheet but being overlapped by said end portion of the wrapper sheet.

7. An adhesive bandage package unit as defined in claim 6, wherein said wrapper sheet comprises adjacent to the adhesive side of the tape a film of organic material `that is substantially inert with respect to the adhesive on the `adhesive tape, said lm having a smooth,

continuous, imperforate surface.

8. An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim 6, wherein said adhesive bandage includes a pad of absorbent material shorter and narrower than the tape and located on said tape to cause the sides and ends of the tape to project outwardly beyond the sides and ends of the pad, said wrapper sheet extending beyond the sides and ends of said pad to cover entirely said pad on all sides.

9. An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim 6, wherein the side of said tape opposite the adhesive side is free of enwrapment.

10. An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim 9, wherein said adhesive bandage includes a pad of absorbent material shorter and narrower than the tape and located on said tape to cause the sides and ends of the tape to project outwardly beyond the sides and ends of the pad, said wrapper sheet extending beyond the sides and ends of said pad to cover entirely said pad on all sides.

1l. An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim 9, wherein said wrapper sheet comprises adjacent to the adhesive side of the tape a film of organic material which is substantially inert with respect to the adhesive on the adhesive tape and which presents to said adhesive surface a smooth, continuous, imperforate surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,949,271 Duhamel Feb. 27, 1934 2,484,045 Morgan Oct. 11, 1949 2,703,083 Gross Mar. l, 1955 2,806,593 Abbott Sept. 17, 1957 

